


I'll follow you until you love me(Papa-paparazzi)

by The_FlamingTiger



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Celebrity, Alternate Universe - No Creatures of Grimm (RWBY), Alternate Universe - No Semblances (RWBY), F/F, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Injuries, Multi, Paparazzi, Serious Injuries
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-11 17:57:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19932151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_FlamingTiger/pseuds/The_FlamingTiger
Summary: Yang Xiao Long has all she ever dreamed of: her career as a professional boxer was in a quick rise up, her dream was baing accomplished, her family was doing great... what more would she want?That was what she told herself until a specific paparazzo with a peculiar morality appeared. The Ninja.Or: in which Yang is a boxer, Blake is a paparazzo and they are both messes for each other.(Other characters might be added)





	1. Your biggest fan

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be for the Bonus Day of the Bumbleby Week, but I ended up taking too much time haha. Hope you guys enjoy it, and please let me know your thoughts!

Yang had dreamed of being a professional boxer ever since she was a child. It was so present in her life that she watched her father train his students since she was that age, and convinced him to let her start by six. Her father was a bit cautious when he saw her practicing, always watching out to see if she wouldn't get hurt. She had a temper and tended to challenge the older children. It had given her a bunch of bruises and sore muscles, but she thought it was worth it. The more she got hit, the stronger she became.

By the age of sixteen, she was able to apply to a competition, and her results were surprisingly awesome. She was considered a prodigy and she did live up to it. As she progressed further into the boxing world, more her name got known. Her fame only grew as in the next year she beat the veteran Junior, making all of Remnant acknowledge her. Since then, it was a rise to the top.

Everyone loved the Sunny Dragon, as she was called.

It came to a point in which she wasn't only an athlete, she became a celebrity. When she turned twenty, her face was already all over the magazines. She also had a large fanclub, composed mostly by thirsty fangirls. It was fun, seeing their reactions to her photoshoots on Scwitter. Her little sister, Ruby, bragged about the attention while Yang just humbly smiled it off. She didn't want to seem arrogant, as her overly confident behavior made some trolls give her enough shit.

Her celebrity life was okay, and she liked it. The lack of privacy was annoying some times and she felt like punching people who were disrespectful. She understood that being a public figure would bring her this kind of issue, but to have people following her family around? Taking pics of her sister while the poor girl was going back home from college? Taking pics of her father when he was finally on break from the gym? They had taken pictures of her _mother_ and Yang _didn't even know her_ , for the gods' sake.

There was this one paparazzo who intrigued her, though. Their photographs were credited to the pseudonym of Ninja. It was very simple, yet very accurate. No one ever caught them, no one had the slightest idea of who they were and their moves were smooth and precise. Although all of those qualities were impressive, they weren't what caught Yang's attention. It was the fact that this photographer absolutely avoided ever bringing people who mattered to the boxer into their work.

The only times someone else was ever in the Ninja's pictures was when no other angle would generate an appropriate take. Or when the person was also a celebrity and it could make great news for the many magazines dedicated to follow them everywhere. Yang wondered why this paparazzo was so concerned with the privacy of the ones she loved. Wasn't it their job to invade and investigate every single step people like the blonde took in their lives? Weren't they in carge of _not_ caring about the right people have to live their lives in peace?

The brawler had no idea of what went on in that brilliant mind that took so many incredible photographs of her, but she was thankful for her kindness. Yang started noticing some patterns, such as black cat ears that seemed to be everywhere she was. When she started paying attention to it, she brushed it off thinking it was just her in her head. But how could she hallucinate with a pair of ears that followed her even to the hotel buildings in other kingdoms? Concluding that her stalker was actually the Ninja, she decided to play a little game with them.

Yang would pose in the best angle she could whenever she found the ears of the person who had been following her for months. She would subtly flex her back muscles when she was wearing a tank top, she would strech her muscles in very specific moments, she would send a playful- almost seductive- smirk in the direction she assumed that the paparazzo was... and it payed off, as she always saw her pictures on social media. They were so great that the Ninja started making a name of themself.

A show was what they wanted? Then that was what they would get.

-+-

Blake woke up in the small hotel room, her beeping scroll forcing her to shot up in her bed. She stretched, arms up as a small moan echoed. The place where she was staying was right in front of where Yang Xiao Long- the best boxing player and four times champion of the Vytal Boxing Tournament- was hosted in Atlas. She honestly hated the flying island, but she had no choice but to go there. The place was known for the anti-faunus racism, an enormous contrast to their advanced technology. Richness and resources didn't always bring intellectual progress, Blake guessed.

The young woman got off of bed, stretching again as she stood up. Her yellow eyes closed and she sighed as her arms popped. She went to the window, looking for any signs that the Sunny Dragon had already started her morning routine. When she found none, the faunus looked at her scroll's clock. It was still 7AM. Perfect, she still had thirty minutes until Yang got out of the hotel for her morning walk. Blake could get ready without a rush.

She then began her own morning routine, taking a quick shower and brushing her teeth. She put on black pants, black boots that reached her thighs and a white leather jacket. It was nothing that gave away her activity, not compromising her stealth abilities, and it also fit the city. It was perfect, as she could mix perfectly with common civilians. She put her professional scroll in her pocket.

It was one with an incredible camera, that had all the assets that she need and could easily help her go into the disguise of talking to someone. She had taken awesome shots of Coco Adel- a very famous stylist- once, pretending to be speaking on her phone. The cash she got for taking them was something to be proud of, and had paid at least three months of her apartment's rent.

That's what this all was about, after all. Being able to make enough money to keep herself living a proper life. Working as a paparazzo actually helped her make it, and she was grateful that her best friend, Sun Wukong, had put his brain cells to work on that one. Also, the fact that Beacon University had a long distance education program helped a lot. She watched her classes on her regular scroll, downloaded the files of the books and theory on Photography that she had to study and submitted her portfolios through there. Life was good.

Yang Xiao long was the most interesting famous person she'd ever followed around, and that was saying a lot. The young woman had a way of being awesomely intriguing, yet quite simple, that made Blake feel more attracted to her. It all got even more entrancing when the blonde started noticing her presence. When their little game started, the raven haired woman was concerned that she might be uncovered. Yang would claim a victory out of the octagon: getting the mysterious Ninja. Unless... she didn't seem to be interested at all on being the one to capture Blake.

Instead, they became predator and prey in a game of observation, patience and reading all the signs one sent to the other. As she had her breakfast, Blake reflected on the last photos she was able to make of the fighter.

_The woman was wearing only a orange sports bra, black sports shorts and brown sneakers. The outfit put her muscles on full display, showing off her toned thighs, her muscular abdomen and her strong arms. She was very sweaty as she had just gotten out of the gym, and she seemed to have captured Blake's ears with her eyes- again. She had smirked at the paparazzo's general direction, opening a water bottle and drinking from it. She had purposefully flexed her biceps and had also let some water drip, which had made its way into her bra._

Blake's thoughts made her blush as she drank her tea. Yang was a gorgeous woman, and such beauty was so goddamn distracting. It made Blake want to get out of hiding and shout at her for looking so terrific all the time. The photographer held herself back, though. She couldn't hand herself like that, not when the boxer was basically the one from whom came all the profit she had. It didn't stop her crush on the blonde from growing, though. And she had to stop her heart from beating out of her chest some times.

The faunus decided that she was done thinking about it by the time her clock marked 7:30AM. Yang would start her walk soon, and Blake needed to stare at her and find some good angles for one hour straight. She got up and left the small hotel's restaurant. She made her way out and was met by the sunshine herself, stretching across the street when she exited. The ravenette stopped in her tracks and couldn't stop staring. Somehow, Yang must have felt her gaze because she looked back.

'Shit,' Blake thought as the blonde grinned at her, white teeth shining almost as brightly as her eyes. 'She's hot.' Yang waved at her, and she waved back with a nervous smile.

Blake walked away to try and avoid the brawler. If she tried taking pictures of Yang after her walk, it would be very clear who she was. That is, if the boxer was observant enough to to notice the cat ears. But if she didn't take the photos, it would also be pretty much obvious. She had been cornered by Yang Xiao Long, who wasn't even trying to figure her out.

"Great. Just... great, Belladonna." she whispered to herself as she absentmindedly made a left in another street. And a right in another, then kept walking straight. Soon, Blake was in an unknown part of Atlas. Beating herself over being fifty percent uncovered had lead her into getting lost. She just kept walking, though, pretending to know what she was doing. It got concerning as she entered a part of the city that seemed very shady, with dirty bars and whispered judgments.

She didn't know how it happened, or when it happened, but somehow she was pulled in an alleyway. She was thrown to the ground, not understanding quite well what was happening. Then, she looked up at whoever had done that to her. There were three young men, all around her age, if not a bit older. They looked at her with spite in their eyes, and seemed disgusted by her.

'Oh, no.' she thought.

"What is a stray cat doing walking around these streets?" the tallest of them asked. Blake had to hold herself back from punching him. She stayed silent, as she didn't want to make it worse. "Eh?! Answer me! Or can't you freaks talk now?" Blake just stared at him, eyes narrowed and ears down. He kicked her in the ribs, causing a gasp to fall from her lips. "Don't worry, though, kitten. We'll teach you to speak when spoken to."

With that, the three men attacked her. Blake tried her best to block the punches and kicks, until her self defense instincts kicked in. If she didn't fight back right now, they would kill her. They would kill her anyway, but the woman figured it would be best to go down giving them some bruise. So she kicked one of them- the one who had talked down to her- in the groin, and he yelped in pain. He kneeled in the ground, and his friends went to his aid.

A bit disoriented from being hit multiple times, Blake got up and tried running. She made her way out of the alleyway, her hand on her ribs where she had been first kicked. When she was far enough from the place, she slowed down. As adrenaline began to drain, a sharp pain in her left cheekbone made itself known and the one in her ribs increased. She gasped for air, eyes closing as her vision became blurry. The ravenette rested her back against a wall and slid, sitting to try and sooth her pain.

She just wanted to do her job properly. Why was it so hard for the Atlesian people to be respectful?

"Hey... are you okay?" a gentle, concerned voice made her open her eyes. Gold met purple and Blake let out a breath. She took in the features of the woman in front of her. The brows were furrowed in worry and the lips were separated in slight shock. The blond hair was in a ponytail and there was sweat sliding down her temples. _Yang Xiao Long_. "Okay, that was a stupid question. Of course you aren't."

"I..." Blake tried, but her words caught in her throat.

"Look, I know we literally just met but it looks like you really need help. Let's head back to the hotel I'm staying in, I got a first aid kit in my room."

Blake just nodded at her, letting the other woman help her up. They started heading to the building, Yang putting the shorter woman's left arm on her shoulders, and Blake tried focusing on the other's warmth instead of on the throbbing in her left side.

-+-

Yang almost couldn't believe it when she found the pretty woman she had seen exiting the hotel across from hers earlier beat up on the ground. Whoever was able to hurt such a beautiful- and seemingly friendly- person was definitely in her list of idiots she wanted to beat to the ground. And she would if it didn’t make her lose most of her important sponsorships. So she just brushed off the urge of doing so and concentrated on getting the kit.

She exited the bathroom and found the subject of her thoughts sitting on her bed, her white jacket off and only a black tak top that exposed her pale arms. Her cat ears were a bit down, and Yang figured it was because of the discomfort of being somewhere unknown with a person she barely even met. Sure, Yang was a worldwide celebrity, but that couldn't be taken as a reason for someone to blindly lay their trust on her. Many famous people were assholes who used their name to get what they wanted. So the boxer didn't blame the beauty in front of her for being cautious, specially after what she just went through.

The blonde sat in front of the faunus, getting some things out of the bag to tend her wounds. Bright yellow eyes followed her every move, which made her quite nervous under the tension of the uncomfortable silence that had settled upon them.

“So... who did this to you?” the blonde asked as she applied some alcohol on the cut on the other woman's cheek. Surprisingly, she didn't flinch. “And why?”

There was silence once more for some seconds, before the bruised young woman sighed. “I was taking a walk around the city when some men pulled me into na alley. They attacked me for... being a faunus, basically.”

Yang’s jaw clenched and her brows furrowed further, anger explicit in her eyes as she started cleaning the blood from the faunus’ nose. “That's why I hate this city. It's full of bigots and racists and stupid-“

“Ow!” the yelp made Yang realize she applied too much pressure.

“Oh, gods, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you! I'm such a disaster, I should just call Weiss here. But then she'll scold me thinking I got myself in trouble again. But you're not trouble! Not at all! I-“

Her rambling was cut off by the other's low chuckle. “It's fine. I feel strongly about the prejudice this city emanates, too. Just... not so physically.”

“Sorry,” the blonde mumbled.

“It's okay, that could never hurt as much as what those guys did.”

Yang nodded, biting her lower lip. Then, she realized that she didn't have the woman's name. “Umm... since we're basically sharing our disgust over Atlas, I think we should as well share our names. I'm Yang Xiao Long, professional boxer.”

“My name is Blake Belladonna. I study Photography in the Long Distance Education Program of the Beacon University.”

“Oooh, my little sister is a Beacon student too! She studies Mechatronics Engineering, and takes the classroom course. Kid's a genius, I'm very proud of her.”

“She seems to be. From the news, I mean.”

“Imagine if I had the ability I have to throw punches applied in mathematics and physics. That's her.”

Blake laughed at that and the sound caused a smile to form on Yang’s lips. Even though she was all battered and bruised, this woman looked like a goddess. Throughout her life, the blonde had met many beautiful women, but the one in front of her drew her to herself in a way that the brawler couldn't quite put. It was like the Belladonna girl was a magnet and Yang was iron.

Yang's thoughts distracted her as she finished cleaning the scraped hands. She stared into the golden pools, drowning in them. She caught the moment in which Blake's eyes drifted to her lips, and then back to her amethyst orbs. The blonde bit her lip and kept the stare, holding the back of the ravenette's hand against her palm. They held eye contact until Blake cleared her throat.

"Um... are you gonna finish that?"

"Huh?" Yang looked at their hands and blushed. "Oh! Yeah!"

As Yang tended her hands and elbows, Blake looked at her with a small smile. The girl's tongue was out as she concentrated on what she was doing, which the paparazzo found very cute. She knew she shouldn't get this close to the boxer. She knew that it was risky, that she could get caught. But that instant, she didn't care. The warm hands that touched her with so much care were the only things that she could focus on.

"There, there." Yang smiled as she put the last bandage on Blake's elbow. "You seemed to be feeling your ribs when we walked here. May I... uh... take a look? I-I'm kinda good in recognizing types of wounds ad bruises because of the amount of them that I got from fighting. I'm not trying any funny business, I promise!"

Blake chuckled and nodded, allowing the blonde to raise her shirt. Yang analyzed her left side where a large reddish bruise grew. She put her fingers on the area, applying just a bit of pressure. "Does it hurt?" the brawler whispered.

"Just a bit." Blake answered.

Yang moved her finger to the center of the wound, and just as she started to repeat the process, the black haired woman hissed and flinched. "Hm... I don't think it's broken. You wouldn't be able to chuckle or breathe heavily without being in pain if it were. It might be something else, but I'm not gonna assume since I'm not an orthopedist. You should really see a doctor."

"Here?" Blake's eyebrow rose. "In Atlas?"

"Well, of course. You're not planning to travel back to wherever you live like that, are you?"

"I doubt any hospital would let me in, though."

Yang silently got up from the bed and searched for something in the nightstand. When she sat back in front of Blake, she had a wallet in hand. The blonde took a card from there. It was a health insurance card with her name, one that was valid for friends and family.

"They won't refuse to if Yang Xiao Long herself gave you a card. Would be a shame if I badmouthed whatever hospital you decide to visit, wouldn't it?"

"Yang... you don't have to do this. You don't even know me, you... we just met!"

"Does that really matter? You clearly need my help and I'm not ever gonna deny help to someone in need." Yang carefully caught Blake's hand in her own, placing the card there. "Please accept this."

"That's... very kind of you. Thank you, so much." she answered with a small smile. The blonde smiled back and her eyes shone with what seemed to be an idea.

"I should give you my number, so you can keep you updated. That is, if you want me to."

"Oh, uh... of course." Blake's ears were red as she fumbled with her jacket trying to find her scroll. When she finally did, she handed it to Yang. The blonde smirked as she saved her contact.

"You have an iScroll XV? The best camera in all Remnant? The latest and techy-est of the Polendina phones?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"It's just... well, the Ninja's photos are taken with that one." Blake froze and she felt like the world had stopped around her and inertia made everything go flying a thousand miles per hour. "It's very good, I can see my freckles even when they take a photo from very far away. And look, they're very light." Yang brought her face closer, causing Blake to flinch back. Seeing those in her pictures was one thing, now having Xiao Long's face this close to her...

"Uh... yeah, my portfolio is turning out great thanks to it."

"And! Because of your abilities. What would be the camera without the woman behind it?" Yang said, causing a smile to appear on the photographer's lips.

After some minutes, Yang remembered that she had a meeting with some sponsors. They said their goodbyes and Blake promised to head to a hospital as soon as she could. The paparazzo had a dumb smile on her face as she walked towards the health area of the city, already having it in mind to go to the Schnee Hospital, for the sake of pissing those bigots off. As she went there, she looked at the name saved on her scroll.

_Sunny Dragon 🐉_

Never did she imagine that a day would come in which she would have the pleasure of talking to Yang Xiao Long face to face, let alone getting her number. She knew very well the consequences this might bring to her paparazzo career, and they might be destructive. But as she remembered how this day had turned out, she couldn't help but wonder what the future had in store for them.

Just as she finished that line of thought, she heard boots running to her. Blake turned around, seeing the blonde running her way. She was dressed in brown leather pants, combat boots, a purple button up and a white blazer. She didn't look too informal, but didn't look out of character either. If Blake weren't too focused on staring at her, she would have taken a picture of Yang.

"Hey!" the blonde greeted as she reached Blake. "I remembered that the place I'm going to is actually near some hospitals. I thought I could walk with you until you reach the health area?"

The raven haired woman thought for a while, before nodding and smiling. "Sure."

_Might bee continued..._


	2. Baby there's no other supestar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well my dear friends, here is the second chapter! Let me know your thoughts and if you enjoyed this chapter ^-^

"So... let me get this straight." Weiss, Yang's physiotherapist, said as she put her coffee down.

"In Yang's case, it's gay actually." Ruby smirked before sipping from her milkshake. Weiss just rolled her eyes and kept speaking.

"You, a public figure, took a person you barely knew to your hotel room, offered her your health insurance card and gave her your number?"

"Look," Yang started. "She needed my help. I couldn't just leave her there! You know very well how your people treats the faunus, Weiss. What if someone did something even worse to her?!"

"Or... you had an immediate crush on her."

"Ruby, for the fiftieth time in one week, I do not have a crush on her!"

"Yeah, yeah. And you haven't been nervous about her not messaging you, either."

"Well, how will I know if things worked out for her? What if she didn't get to her hotel safely after leaving the hospital? Oh dust, I should've walked her there after my meeting with the sponsors. I should-"

"Okay, okay. Calm down and let me once again be the voice of reason." Weiss interrupted. "Yang, you have no responsibility over this girl's life. You barely know her. She'll contact you if she actually wants to, but you can't beat yourself over not taking care of someone you met only once in your life. Besides, you have an incoming tournament to worry about."

Yang thought for some seconds, before sighing and nodding. "Yeah... you're right."

She knew Weiss was right, but she couldn't keep her mind at ease. Yang felt that Blake's health was her responsibility since the moment she gave her that card. Or that was what she told herself when she tried to believe that she didn't think of the woman all the time because she was attracted to her. Sure, she was gorgeous with those beautiful eyes, that soft looking hair, that smooth voice... the blonde found it ironic that someone who looked like a model was a photographer instead.

But still, she didn't know _Blake_. She knew the surface, and Yang didn't really like superficial relationships and unstable hook ups. She may seem like someone whos would go around kissing whoever, but she isnt.

Yang sighed as Ruby and Weiss bickered over something that she hadn't caught up on. The two of them had a very... rocky start, to say the least. Weiss was still a Beacon student, and she had met Ruby when the redhead was starting her studies there. The two were roommates, which meant that they had to live with each other, a fact that lead to many heated arguments over Ruby's messy projects and Weiss' obsession over organizing. They had a lot of trouble getting used to each other, but they eventually figured it out and became great friends, almost inseparable.

Ruby was the one who convinced Yang to give Weiss a shot on being her physiotherapist after her other one, Glynda Goodwitch, had to leave because of family issues, after all. The blonde's initial hesitancy came from the fact that Weiss was still in training. She couldn't let her medical procedures get ruined, as she knew that her physical condition was extremely important for her performance. So before accepting her little sister's suggestion, she asked Glynda to test the Schnee's abilities and knowledge. Turns out that she had studied things ahead of her grade, and the older doctor praised her a lot.

Weiss didn't disappoint and lived up to what Goodwitch and Ruby said about her. Soon enough, she and Yang became more than patient and physician. They were friends and saw each other as family.

The boxer was brought back to the present as the banter between her sister and her friend seemed to get a bit more serious.

"Why can't you just take it seriously?! I told you a month ago that you wouldn't be able to finish this project within two weeks!" Weiss scolded like someone mad at their spouse for not doing the dishes.

"Look, the robot software isn't that hard and I already have it settled! What's been giving me trouble is the report! I just don't seem to find the right words. Like, the calculations are all on point, but the rest is just... ugh!"

Weiss sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Fine. I'll help you."

"Yay!"

"Whipped." Yang's voice was singing, teasing.

"Excuse me?!" said the white haired woman, her face red all over. As on cue, Yang's clock beeped.

"Now we don't have time to unpack all that." the blonde stood up, a bright grin taking over her features. "I'm gonna be late for my afternoon work out! It was great to catch up with you two, though. See ya later!"

"See you." the other two said in unison.

Yang put fifteen lien on the table, the price of what she had consumed. Then she ran out of the cafe, rushed to get to the gym as soon as she could. It wasn't much far from the place she was in with Ruby and Weiss, but it was still a bit of a walk. As she jogged there, she tried to search for any signs of the Ninja. There was no sign of them ever since before she had been to Atlas. It was weird, not hearing from the paparazzo for so long.

Of course, others were there to follow her around, but wasn't quite the same. They didn't have it in them to make Yang feel amused. Instead, they irritated her and made her temper come to her. She was pretty sure that the photo-thirsty ones had taken shots of her with her sister and Weiss. The two had said it multiple times that it didn't bother them. The Schnee woman reassured her that she was used to it, being the heiress of the largest hospital and pharmacy chain in Remnant, the Schnee Health Company.

But it bothered Yang, that the people she cared about couldn't go a day without being chased.

When she entered the gym she saw one of her best friends, Pyrrha Nikos, hitting a punch bag. Nikos was a javelin thrower whose hobbie was boxing. She was pretty good at it, and Yang was glad that she went to her father's gym in Vale. Although not being professional, the redhead was very good and put up a fight. It was good to have someone who could actually be challenging.

"Hello again!" Pyrrha had a bright smile when her eyes found Yang.

"Greetings, Pyrrha!" Yang answered as ger friend walked to her.

"How was your outing with Weiss and Ruby?"

"It was fine. Those two bicker enought to have me bored into daydreaming." that made a chuckle erupt from the taller girl.

"They're still not over that phase, I see."

"You say that like they will ever be." both laughed this time. "So... up for a sparring match?"

"I could use a bit of practice, yeah."

"Lemme just get changed, I'll be back soon."

"Sure thing."

It didn't take long for Yang to be out of the locker room. The two girls went to the boxing ring with their gloves on, Pyrrha's red and Yang's orange. The two hit fists respectfully before starting their match. They jumped around each other for a bit, both waiting to see if the other would attack. The blonde, unsurprisingly, was the first to go for it. She threw a hook at Pyrrha, which was successfully blocked. Then, a jab came Yang's way and she dodged it easily.

The match progressed smoothly with the two being more playful than anything. Pyrrha noticed that the brawler's movements were also sloppy, though, and it was a very unusual change to her precise blows. It was even more evident as she cornered the star boxer, jabing multiple times as the shorter tried to block them.

"What's on you mind?" Pyrrha asked as she stopped her hits.

"Huh?"

"You're clearly distracted, Yang. You're generally not this... how do I put it...?"

"Bad? Sloppy? Rusty?"

"Absent."

Yang sighed as she jumped out and grabbed her bottle of water. He drank a bit of it, and squeezed the bottle to get some water on her sweaty, red face. She sat with her back against the ring as the thrower leaned against the ropes.

"You see, I met this girl in Atlas..."

Pyrrha smirked. "I'm listening."

"Some stupid racists beat her up on the street and I helped her. Took care of her wounds, gave her my spare health insurance card and all. And my number, so she would contact me and tell me how things went for her. But it's been a week and she hasn't said anything."

"And you are worried about her, although you only met once?"

"Well, yeah! The people who attacked her did a number. I just..." Yang exhaled. "She's a very sweet person, and I can tell that she was not trying to take advantage of me. And... I, uh... I think I'd like to know more about her."

“Have you tried finding her on social media? You could send her a direct message on Scwitter or Snapgram.”

Yang blinked twice before running to the locker room to grab her scroll and her friend just stared at her with na amused grin. She knew the boxer was pretty much a panicked disaster when it came to girls, and seeing her like this was always a show.

“Okay, let's see,” Yang said as she sat on the spot she was before. She opened her Snapgram and went straight for the search, not bothering to look the posts of the people she followed. Probably some food pics or party pics anyway. She quickly typed Blake's name and one person popped up. The user was tunandbooks, which made Yang chuckle as she clicked to check. The account was private and didn't have much followers, but it was clear by the icon that it was, in fact, the Belladonna she was looking for. “Done!” she grinned as she hit the follow button.

“Now all you have to do is wait.”

Yeah. Wait.

-+-

Blake took a sip of her tea as she waited for Sun in a cafe nearby her house. He was unsurprisingly late, even though he was the one who invited her to come. The hang out idea probably came from the fact that she hadn't been in contact with the outside world since the previous week, not even as the Ninja.

It wasn't her fault that the orthopedist who saw her had stated that she should thoroughly avoid doing excessive effort for at least two weeks to give time for her ribs to start feeling better. Following famous people around didn't really help with that and she only agreed to meet up with Sun because she knew that he would crash at her apartment with six pizza boxes and leave a mess for her to clean up in the next day. Which, may I add, was an annoyance to her.

Don't get her wrong, Blake loves him. Sun has been her best and most supportive friend ever since she was seventeen. He was there for her when she didn't trust herself to even go back to her parents after everything that happened years before. He was like a brother to her. Annoying and some- most of- times pushy? Yeah. But she cared about him regardless of that. Everyone has their flaws and faults, after all. Nobody is perfect, and expecting anyone to be was a very unrealistic thing to do.

“Yo, Blake!” she heard Sun shout as he sat in the chair in front of her. “Sorry that I kept you waiting. Got caught up in a call with the boys. Can you believe Nep almost fell in the pool of Scarlet’s house again?!”

“For someone so scared of water, he doesn't seem to properly keep his distance from it.”

“I know, right?"

"Did you call me here to talk about Neptune and his fear of water?" Blake asked as Sun ordered an orange juice and a meat pie.

"Well... no. I was just worried about you, that's all."

"And just chatting in our scrolls wouldn't work?"

"Nope!" he exclaimed. "What happened, after all? You never gave me the details."

"Well... I had a bit of a panic when I saw Yang Xiao Long stretching in front of her hotel before her morning run. I kind of got lost in Atlas, went to a shady part of the city and some thugs beat me up when I refused to speak to them."

"You got lost trying to avoid the Sunny Dragon? Wow, bisexuals really are chaotic, huh?"

" _You_ are bisexual, Sun." the young woman narrowed her eyes.

"Details, details." he ate a piece of his pie. "Keep going."

"I kicked one of them in the groin. His friends went to help him. I ran off, Yang found me and took me to her hotel room-"

"This is starting to sound interesting. You and your 'impossible' crush of one year? In the same room?"

"Don't go assuming that, you doofus." Blake's cheeks were painted by a dark blush. "She just... she offered to take care of my wounds. And she let me borrow her health card. And walked me to the hospital."

"She's so into you. I can't believe you two didn't kiss!"

"Sun! She's not- we're not- we literally just met!" her blush was increasing, and soon her ears were redish as well.

"Come on, Blake! Who in the world just invites someone they don't know to their room?"

"Sun, she saw that I was in need of help and she was decent enough of a person to do it."

Sun let out a long sighed and sipped his juice. "Blake, Blake, Blake... sweet Blake. You're so oblivious."

"It's not being oblivious, Sun. It's being realistic."

"Well-" he was interrupted by Blake's scroll buzzing. She checked it and choked on her tea, a cough erupting from her- which caused her left side to start hurting and made her friend get concerned. "Blake? Everything alright?!" the woman just handed him the scroll, breathing heavily. "Oh. My. Gods!" Sun exclaimed, beaming with excitement as his tail wiggled side to side. "Oh my gods, oh my gods, oh my gods!"

"What do I do?!"

"Let her follow you back, doofus!"

"But she's gonna see all my pics!"

"You're a great photographer, Blake, don't-"

"It's not that, there are drunk photos there!"

"So what? You're pretty anyway, I bet she'll love to see your pics. Mainly the Menagerie ones." he rose his eyebrows suggestively.

"Ugh, Sun." she held herself back from hitting him. "Give me the scroll." Sun did as he was asked, and Blake allowed Yang Xiao Long to follow her. The blond sat by her side, curious to know what way this would go. Almost as if the boxer had been waiting for her to do that, a direct message arrived. "Oh dust," came Blake's panicked voice.

"Just open it already!"

"Calm your butt, Wukong." she complained, but did as he said.

**sunnylittledragun: yo :)**   
**tunandbooks: Hello there.**   
**sunnylittledragun: woah how serious kfjskfhs**   
**tunandbooks: Sorry fnddksbdh**   
**sunnylittledragun: hey no prob**   
**sunnylittledragun: you do you**   
**sunnylittledragun: so... i messaged you bc i wanted to know how you doing**   
**sunnylittledragun: Typing...**

"Awww, adorable." Sun said.

"Shush."

**sunnylittledragun: like, idk if it's my business. i mean, we barely know each other, but... you didn't contact me or anything. i mean, you have your right to if you don't wanna but i really felt like i should check on you**

"Oh shoot..."

"You had her number? And you _didn't message her_?! Blake Belladonna, I swear to the gods that-"

"I forgot to, okay?!"

"How did you forget?!"

Blake ignored him and started typing.

**tunandbooks: My mind really played tricks on me and I forgot to message you, sorry. And I'm doing fine. Thanks for the concern by the way :)**   
**sunnylittledragun: no need to apologize. and well, you're welcome ^-^**   
**sunnylittledragun: so...**   
**tunandbooks: So?**   
**sunnylittledragun: i was thinking**   
**sunnylittledragun: you live in vale?**   
**tunandbooks: Yes. Why?**   
**sunnylittledragun: maybe we could y'know**   
**sunnylittledragun: meet up so you could give my card back**   
**sunnylittledragun: and well, hang out together for a bit if you want to**

"She's asking you out! Holy-"

"Sun, she just said we can hang out. Nothing much."

"Sure it isn't."

**sunnylittledragun: watcha say?**   
**tunandbooks: That sounds lovely. I would love to.**   
**tunandbooks: Anything in mind?**   
**sunnylittledragun: there's this tea place near my house**   
**sunnylittledragun: owner is a lovely old man and his tea is fantastic, tho his nephew can be a pain some times**   
**sunnylittledragun: we could meet up there and do whatever later**   
**tunandbooks: Is it The Jasmine Dragon? I love that place**   
**sunnylittledragun: you know it?? a woman of taste, i see ;)**

"The winky face! She sent you the winky face!"

**tunandbooks: Well, so are you.**   
**tunandbooks: Sounds perfect to me.**   
**sunnylittledragun: yay!!! when's a good time for you?**   
**tunandbooks: Next friday, 3PM? Doc said I should wait two weeks so the ribs would hurt less.**   
**sunnylittledragun: right, that sounds great to me!**   
**sunnylittledragun: next friday it is :D**   
**tunandbooks: Yeah!**

"Blakey got a date! Blakey got a date!" Sun teased, but Blake wasn't paying attention. All she could think about was her plans for what was to come next week.

_To bee continued..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have an awesome day/evening/night! See y'all in the next chapter :)


	3. We'd be so fantastical

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A nice encounter, some good tea and the growth of their bond... everything was going great for Blake and Yang! Nothing could go wrong, right?
> 
> After all, life was good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are again, my dear readers! Hope you all enjoy this chapter and don't forget to leave your thoughts! ^-^

The week passed by more quickly than either Blake or Yang could have imagined. They were both extremely excited to see each other again and initially thought that such excitement would slow down time. Luckily it didn't, and part of what helped time go faster was the fact that they had been chatting through their scrolls. Some of the messages were quite flirty, but the two women were panicked messes and some times didn't notice.

Sun told Blake countless times that she and Yang were the very definition of the "is she flirting or being nice?" trope. It had made him victim of many death glares, but the monkey faunus didn't seem to care. His life goal was to act as her annoying older brother who teased her over her crush, after all. It would be stranger if he _didn't_ do everything in his power to make her want to shout at him every five minutes.

Yang wasn't in a much different situation. Ruby asked her about Blake all the time, followed the woman on social media, teased her sister about it all the time... it made the boxer thankful that the engineer in training didn't live with her. If the younger were to see her blushing, panicking and squealing every single time Blake said something such as a compliment, she would never hear the end of it. The boxer loved her little sister a lot, but it didn't mean that she wanted to be made fun of into the next life.

When Friday finally arrived, Yang was having trouble choosing what outfit would be best. After debating herself for a long time, she settled with combat boots, dark jeans, a black and yellow plaid shirt and a brown leather jacket. She brushed her hair carefully and put some of her best perfume on. She also had a necklace around her neck with an emblem she had designed for herself when her career began. The blonde then put her aviators over her lilac eyes, the perfect addition to her fit.

The boxer left her room, finding her father and her uncle sat on her sofa. The two men shared the role of her manager. Taiyang took care of the championships and everything related to the boxing part, finding her sponsors that would provide her the best equipment. Being a champion himself, he knew the best people to help her through her journey as a pro. Qrow was in charge of the legal parts, such as the contracts with the sports brands, with the employees in her team and the public relations. He had a degree in Law and had worked as a lawyer when he was younger, so having him around was good.

"Just because you two have the keys, doesn't mean you should come in unannounced." Yang said, but her grin betrayed the words that left her mouth. She hugged the two tightly. "What are you doing here?"

"We just wanted to check on you. It's been some time since we all had a meeting." Tai smiled at her brightly. "Why? Are you going out now?"

"Um... yeah. Gonna meet up with a girl in The Jasmine Dragon."

"Ohoho... the Firecracker's got a date, huh?" Qrow teased with his hands in his hips, and winked at her.

"I-it's not a date, uncle Qrow. She's just gonna return something I lent her. That's all."

"Yeah, yeah. Keep telling yourself that, kiddo." he smirked at her. "What time are you two meeting?"

"We're gonna meet at three." the boxer looked at her clock. "And it's twenty to three already. Can we have this talk later? Like, tomorrow?"

"Yeah, of course! It's so rare for my Sunny Little Dragon to take girls out." the former champion ruffled his daughter's hair, which made her scoff and shove his hand away.

"Don't mess it up, dad. It took too long to get it right."

"Right, right." Tai kissed her forehead. "Go have your date."

"Not a date!" the woman shouted, getting her motorcycle keys. It was a ten minutes ride to the tea shop or a twenty minutes walk. She didn't want to be late for the date- no, meeting- with Blake. Also, Yang lowkey wanted to offer to give her a ride home. Not that she would admit it to anyone.

She also had an interesting proposal to Blake in mind after seeing her photos in her Snapgram. It made her smile as she headed to the garage. Yang just couldn't wait to see her and to make it already. There were so many things about this encounter that excited her...

The blonde got on Bumblebee, the bike her father gave to her as a gift for her first big win. She cherished it like the most precious thing she has ever had. And it was. Yang valued everything her father, her sister and her uncle did for her and all the small moments they had. Ever since Summer Rose died, every bit of happiness they had as a family was to be appreciated. It was better now, as they were learning to move on and forward, but the memories were bittersweet and even the happiest ones were painful.

With the thoughts of her deceased mother in mind, the young boxer finished her ritual of not letting the helmet mess up her hair. With a growl, the bike accelerated from the drive, the hum of the engine as the motorcycle slid through its gears. Traffic was very smooth, so Yang was there in basically no time. She chose to sit on a table by the window to look outside while she waited for Blake. She had arrived five minutes early, and she would have the pleasure of seeing the other arrive.

And when the raven haired woman entered the shop, it was truly spectacular. She was dressed in white shorts, a light violet tank top and a black vest. She also had heeled black boots on and her hair was in a ponytail, and the light makeup highlighted her eyes. There was such elegance in her simplicity that it made Yang's jaw drop. Blake Belladonna was gorgeous and so, so hot.

Yang was pretty sure she was looking hilarious by the time the other sat in front of her, as the photographer chuckled. She cleared her throat, trying to rid herself of the shock in her features and to hide her blush.

"Hello, Yang." Blake greeted, smirking.

"Hi." came the breathless response. "W-wow. I mean... uh... y-you look great today. Not that you didn't look good before! Like, your photos are great! I mean... ugh-"

"I get it!" the ravenette reassured, blushing. "Thanks... a-and you're looking marvelous as well. As always, to be honest."

"Thank you..."

They were silent for a few moments, avoiding eye contact and blushing. Then, the owner showed up to take their orders.

"It's always an honor to have you here, Ms. Xiao Long." he said with a bright smile.

"Oh, come on. If I can drop the formalities and call you uncle, why do you still keep them up?"

"Well... wouldn't want the other costumers to think I have favorites. Although you are one of the best." the man winked and turned to Blake. "And your face is familiar, young lady. Blake Belladonna, isn't it? I remember talking to someone who looked just like you about the tea in Menagerie."

"Ah, yes. That's me."

"My memory never fails when it comes to true tea enthusiasts!" the three laughed. "What can I get to this lovely couple today?"

Their eyes widened and they started trying to explain that they're not a couple while stumbling in their own words.

"W-we're here just as... uh..." Yang trailed off.

"F-friends?" Blake was looking at her and she nodded.

"Y-yeah, that. Um, I guess?"

"Give time for the seed to become a flower, and you shall see the beauty that was hidden inside all along." the two blushed harder, making him laugh soundly.

Yang finally found the words to make her order. "It's Oolong for me."

"I'd like to have a Pu-erh, please."

"Orders taken! Your tea will be served soon." with that, he left to make them their tea.

"Oolong, huh?" Blake rose an eyebrow, surprise and praise in her voice.

"Oh, yeah. Weiss told me to lay off caffeine and since tea has a lower amount. So I decided to leave my latte days behind and give it a try."

"You do realize Oolong is not caffeine free, right?"

"Really?" Blake nodded. "Oh wow... well, I did take a quiz to figure out what to drink."

Blake blinked one, two, three times. She stared at Yang, making the blonde uneasy. Then, a laugh erupted from her and it was loud enough to make some of the other costumers look at them. She doubled over, eyes closed and tears spilling. The boxer was confused, but the other's laugh was contagious and she chuckled.

"Oh gods..." Blake cleared her throat and whipped her laughter tears.

"What is it?"

"And here I was, thinking someone finally impressed me regarding tea. You took a quiz." the woman giggled a bit more.

"Well... yeah! I didn't know much of tea and the one time I drank it when I was small, it tasted pretty bad." Yang narrowed her eyes playfully. "Besides, Ruby takes quizes for _everything_ and usually it works out well. So I give it a go and almost impress you! Can't say the results disappointed me. And it tastes awesome, so I'm pretty happy with it!"

Blake giggled, a small blush on her cheeks. "That's some quiz you took. Incredibly fitting..."

"Really? And why is that?"

"Well, Oolong tea is a type of tea made from these leafs called _Camellia sinensis_ where they're oxidized and withered by sunlight," her gaze went to Yang's bright, luscious blond locks. "Also, the meaning of 'Oolong tea' is black dragon tea, so you make make of it what you will." Blake added with a small smirk.

Yang was beyond words as Blake gave her a full explanation on tea. Somehow, it made the woman in front of her even more attractive and she had to bite her tongue to stop herself from telling the ravenette just _how freaking hot_ she was. 'Get over yourself, Xiao Long!' she mentally slapped herself.

"Wow..." the blonde was breathless. "Lady of teas, uh?"

"I have experimented several kinds of tea all around this world. Some could say that I am basically an expert, as my knowledge of this masterpiece of a drink knows no boundaries."

"Geez, you really love it." Yang laughed.

"Yeah, you can say that." the faunus smiled as their tea arrived. It was brought by the nephew this time and silently served it for them, just bowing before leaving. "Do you know why he is like that?"

"Rough past." Yang sipped her tea. "His father was abusive and his mother left when he was still a child. I don't know all the details, but his uncle became his legal guardian after some nasty stuff with a kid from his school went down. He's a good kid, and he's getting in the right path. Studying hard. He even contacted me one of these days, asking if my father was up for new students."

"Are you friends with his family?"

"Not really, his uncle and I just have some long talks when I stay here late."

They drank more of their tea, just staring at each other and taking in how good their companion looked. Blake was still in awe by the fact that this all was really happening. She never expected to actually meet Yang, let alone have tea with her while they talked as if they were long-term friends instead of two young adults who just met two week ago. Looking at Yang this close instead of through the photos she took was like finally admiring a piece of art in person instead of through textbooks. The experience was priceless.

She did take a few shots before she went inside the shop, though. Couldn't waste the opportunity to get some awesome photographs of Yang Xiao Long in an outing, right? Although there was something in her head that told her that it was wrong, she wasn't able to help herself. Also, paying for her apartment alone was very hard and really needed to make the money after two weeks of no work done.

'I really should find another source of profit...' she thought and, as on cue, Yang started speaking.

"So... I _really_ liked your pictures on Snapgram. You're very good, Blake."

"Thank you. I've liked photography since I was a child."

"What sparked your interest for it?"

"Well... it's a way of capturing the moment. Of telling a story. I've always liked books too, but I didn't feel like I had it in me to write them. So I decided to tell stories through what people can _see_."

"That's incredible. And do you have a job related to it?"

Blake froze in the middle of a sip. She tried to act cool and put her cup down, clearing her throat. "Not really. Why?"

"After seeing the Ninja's amazing photos, I was thinking I could get a personal photographer. Like, someone who can take pics of me in various occasions to post on social media. A lot of people who are, you know, famous do that and I want to give it a shot."

"I see... do you want any recommendations? Because there's this girl I know who can take awesome photographs. Name's Velvet."

"Actually..." the blonde played with her fingers, looking at the other sheepishly. "I wanted you to be the one to do it."

Blake's brain pretty much short circuited, and she stared at the brawler with wide eyes. There was so much to think about in that moment. This proposal was all that she needed, as the Lien from both her being a paparazzo and from what Yang was offering probably would be able to cover all her needs. At the same time, though, it was too risky to try doing that. What if she got sloppy while trying to conciliate the jobs?

"Oh... uh, thank you so much for your offering. I honestly appreciate it. But can you give me a little time to think about it?"

"Sure thing! Whenever you want to talk, just give me a call. We can discuss the details such as the salary, the health insurance, the breaks..."

"Y-yeah." Blake was far more excited than she thought that she should be. "And speaking of health insurance..." she pulled the card from her vest pocket and handed it to Yang. "Thank you so much for this, and for everything you did for me that day. I don't know what would have been of me if you hadn't showed up."

"That was no problem at all! I would never deny help to someone in need."

"You're very sweet." Blake smiled softly as she finished her tea. Yang just smiled back, taking a big sip and finishing hers too. They asked for the bill, which was placed carefully in the middle of the table. Then, the debate began.

"I'm paying, since I was the one to invite you here."

"No, we're splitting. I'm not letting you pay for me, Yang. Don't insist."

"But-"

"No. Please, just let me do this." the photographer's voice was firm, but her smile was reassuring. "I want to."

Yang sighed and nodded. "Sure."

They payed for the tea and exited the store. The two walked side by side to nowhere specific, just enjoying to be in each other's company. Some times Yang would get a bit closer, brushing their shoulders. Blake's small smile gave out her enjoyment of the situation, although physical contact wasn't generally her thing. It was different with this amazing boxer. A lot was different with her, and somehow it all made the line between a celebrity crush and truly liking Yang Xiao Long not seem so clear.

"You said you like books earlier. Any type in particular?" Yang asked, her voice filled with sincere interest.

"Hmm... I like drama and romance. If you add a bit of adventure, it's a very welcomed bonus."

"Have you read The Man With Two Souls?"

"Yes, one of my favorites."

"I absolutely adore it! It's such a good story. To think that someone could come up with a world that is so filled with fantasy, but still keeps it relatable and real... that writer was a genius!"

"He truly was. It saddens me that such an incredible mind passed so early. I wish I could have met him."

"Yeah, me too. But I feel that every time I get my hands on his work, I'm somehow close to him. So... just gotta enjoy it, right?"

"Yeah, you're right. After all, he taught me to believe that our spirits are indomitable." Blake smiled. She looked at her clock and saw it was almost five. "Oh, gods... I forgot my painkillers at home, and I have to take them at five thirty." she looked at Yang apologetically.

"Oh? Well, I can give you a ride home! My motorcycle is parked this way."

"Would you really do that? I live on the other side of the city and you've already done so much..."

"Of course I would! I love riding my Bumblebee, so it's a win-win situation. It would be even if I didn't, to be honest." the boxer winked, and Blake blushed.

"If it's like that... then sure."

They headed to where Bumblebee was parked and Yang got on it first. Blake took some seconds to admire how good she looked, ready to give her a ride home. She felt urged to take a photograph of Yang like that, with her helmet in her right hand while she put her aviators on with the other. How could someone be this attractive?

"Try my helmet and see if it won't harm your ears. Wouldn't want you getting hurt." Yang said as she handed Blake the helmet. The shorter grabbed it and put it on, and it was surprisingly spacious.

"It's good. But won't it be bad for you to ride without it?" she asked as she got behind Yang, arms hesitantly around her waist.

"Nah, I won't fall off." the brawler laughed. "Hold on tight, by the way. We're gonna paint the town!" Blake just giggled and tightened her hold. She drowned in the warmth emanating from the blonde and was not able to hold back from resting her chin on the other's strong shoulder. It was nice, feeling the wind on her skin in contrast to how warm she felt inside.

After thirty minutes of Blake guiding Yang through the city, they arrived at their destination. The building where the faunus lived had an old appearance, but looked pretty decent. She jumped off the motorcycle and Yang followed. Blake handed her the helmet, which was placed carefully on the seat. Then, the boxer turned to her with a blinding grin.

"I liked being out with you today. I liked it a lot."

"I really enjoyed myself, too." the photography student smiled. Yang got closer to her, arms slightly opened as if asking for permission. Blake just went for it, hugging her first.

"We really should do that again." Yang voiced, before pulling away to look at the shorter woman. Her smile became a frown as the bruise on Blake's cheek- which was covered by a thin layer of makeup- became evident with the closeness. She also identified the discreet bandage, that should be covering the cut from the Atlas situation. Yang cupped her cheek, thumb caressing it carefully. "It bruised..."

"Yeah..." was the breathless response, as Blake was too distracted by the blonde's beauty to form a decent answer. "But it's healing."

The boxer bit her lip and nodded, trying to convince herself not to worry. "I'm glad it is."

That made a smile form in the raven haired woman's lips. She hugged Yang one last time before saying goodbye, and entering her building. The boxer sat on her motorcycle, right hand on her chest feeling her fast heartbeat. Then, she grinned to herself and put her helmet on, ready to head back to her house.

"Well... that was a thing."

* * *

For the month that followed, some interesting things happened. Taiyang and Qrow wanted to talk to Yang about the International Unisex Boxing Tournament, as known as IUBT. It's a championship that happens every five years, and this would be Yang's first time participating. She was excited for it, as the last time she fought in a competition against a male opponent was when she was sixteen, in the Vale Unisex Boxing Tournament. She defeated the champion Junior, and qualified to the IUBT.

The talk was about the rules, signing some contracts to authorize television channels to transmit her fights and letting her managers know more about her meeting with the Atlas sponsors. The three of them also had a casual conversation about how things were going. The two men teased Yang a lot about what she tried so hard to convince them that was not a date. Things got even funnier when Weiss and Ruby decided to come over.

As the five of them talked, Yang noticed how close the two other women sat close together, hands brushing agaisnt each other. Their cheeks were slightly pink and they weren't quite looking in each other's eyes. The boxer just smirked at Weiss and looked at their hands before winking at the heiress. The white haired woman's blush increased and she looked everywhere but at the taller woman. Messing with the Schnee was fun, and Yang was pretty sure they would have to have _the talk_ soon enough.

To Blake, things were progressing smoothly as well. She was able to get back in action as the Ninja in no time after her encounter with Yang. She photographed the champion of the Men's Boxing Tournament, Yatsuhashi Daichi, in a day off in the beach. She also got some shots of Arslan Altan, who was in town for the preparations to the IUBT. And of course, many pictures of Yang Xiao Long.

Going after the blonde always reminded her of the proposal made to her that Friday. It was an awesome opportunity and Blake really wanted to give it a chance. Besides the experience and the profit that would come to it, she would be able to spend a lot of time with the brawler. Every time she thought about it, thought about Yang's kind smile and her sweet words, her heart swelled with affection. She truly was hopeless.

After many days- weeks- debating with herself and being told by Sun to just do it already, she finally called Yang to discuss the terms of the contract. The Sunny Dragon answered the call with such excitement that Blake bit her lip to refrain from calling her cute. She tried focusing on what Yang was saying and almost choked over the proposal of 35,000 Lien.

"What?! That's the same amout of a Beacon University professor! I-I can't accept that."

_"Of course you can!"_ Yang chuckled on the other side. _"Your work is amazing and you're very skilled. I wouldn't pay any less."_

Blake was out of words, and just let out a breathless "okay."

From that point on, the two of them started seeing each other basically every single day. Yang called Blake to go to her practices, to have an afternoon jog with her, to take shots of her while they had lunch in the small restaurant beside Taiyang's gym in Vale... all of that under the excuse of having constant updates on social media. Soon enough, those became outings in which they got to know more about each other.

They discovered many things throughout the month that rolled by. Blake noticed how Yang's eyes shone when she talked about boxing or about her family, the pride she had of herself and of them explicit. She noticed how she always try to get herself informed about what was going on around the world and how her tongue stuck out while she was concentrated. How she looked so cute when Blake won against her in Tario Kart when they played it in Yang's house.

Yang did her own studying of Blake Belladonna. The woman was a mystery, a slowburn book waiting to be read and to have an interlocutor who would drink in every single detail. And the boxer wanted to be that reader, so she started paying attention to all of the photographer. The way she prepared her tea, to try and make it how Blake liked. The way she didn't like to be bothered while she was reading. How she would shift a bit whenever Yang's hand brushed against hers and the small smile that formed on her lips.

Their growing bond soon became noticeable for the public. With the paparazzi on the tail of everyone who breathed next to Yang and the fact that the blonde always credited the pics to "the best photographer @tunandbooks" and wrote "photos by babe @tunandbooks", it was hard not to notice how close together they had grown. The fans soon enough came up with a name to their relationship that made the boxer laugh with the coincidence: Oolong.

Although they affirmed countless times that they were just friends and nothing beyond that, it was no use. The media was already all over them and everyone went even crazier when Yang posted a photo of Blake reading saying "I did the photographing today. Having @tunandbooks as the model and muse helped a lot hehe."

Blake laughed everything off. The attention was a bit overwhelming, but she knew that that's what would come from getting close to Yang. The biggest issue was getting rid of the paparazzi when she was trying to have a getaway as the Ninja and it made her feel a little bad for doing the same to others. Was it really worthy to keep doing this? The salary Yang paid to her was more than enough to keep her apartment. It was more than enough to allow something she didn't remember having since she was fourteen- comfort.

Then why keep this paparazzo act up, when she already has enough? Was the feeling of adventure truly worth the risks she took?

With those thoughts inside her head, she went into the next month. They were only two weeks away from the International Unisex Boxing Tournament, and Yang was getting more and more into her training, as well as some press conferences and more meetings with her sponsors. She still made time for her outings with Blake, though. They didn't let go of each other and were closer than ever.

Life was good.

* * *

Blake was in the elevator of her apartment's building, back against the wall. She was exhausted from the afternoon run with Yang, as the taller woman's pace was hard to keep up with. Blake was not out of shape. No, it was quite the opposite. But the boxer jogged like her life depended on it, and the ravenette still wasn't used to that routine.

The elevator door opened and she walked with weak legs to her own door. She tried to unlock it with ger keys, only to find out that the door wasn't locked to begin with. Blake clenched her teeth, her heart beating faster and her face going pale. She had locked the door, she was sure of it. A lump started forming in her throat as her hands went cold. Deciding to just face whoever had broken in, she turned the handle with trembling hands. Blake entered the apartment and closed the door behind her, only after that turning to look at her living room.

Nothing could have prepared her for the sight she found. Absolutely not a single scenario she had imagined in the past three years could have terrified her as much as actually seeing Adam Taurus lying on her sofa, reading a magazine that had Yang as the cover. He looked the same as the last time they'd seen each other: red and brown, spiked hair around pointed horns, left eye covered by an eyepatch while the other- blue and shining with coldness-, black leather jacket over a red button up, black pants and black boots.

Blake's whole body started to tremble and she thought of a way to run, to escape from that place. She should have known better, she should have been smarter, she-

"And what a nice couple they make! Despite all the denial, all the 'we are just friends', there's no saying that they aren't an aesthetically pleasing pair. All we shall do is cheer for the- maybe- future girlfriends and support the Sunny Dragon in the incoming International Unisex Boxing Tournament!" Adam interrupted her line of thought, reading with an edge of irony in his voice. He chuckled, throwing the magazine on the small table. "Welcome home, my love."

"W-what," she cleared her throat. "What are you doing here? How did you even get in?!"

"I thought it was time we talked, darling. As to how I got in... you know very well that I have my ways."

"We have nothing to talk about. I made it clear already, I want nothing to do with you!" the young woman started backing away when he stood up and walked her way. Her back hit the door and she gulped when his palm came in contact with the spot beside her head. She stared at his face with widened eyes, terror evident all over her features as a smirk played in his lips.

"Oh, but we have. You didn't honestly think that I would let you replace me like that, now did you? You are _mine_ , Blake." he reached to touch her cheek.

She clenched her teeth, eyebrows furrowing as she slapped his hand away. "I am _not_ yours, Adam, I am not your property! We've been over for three years now! Get over it, get over _me_." his expression changed to annoyance.

"I want the best for us, for you, my love! And that wannabe boxer just isn't it!" spite was clear in his voice. "Why can't you see that?!"

"You don't know what's best for me! You never did!" she shouted back, a idea forming in her head. "And about Yang... she's more of a boxer than you ever were, or than you'll ever be!"

"No!" Adam punched the door, missing Blake's face by mere inches.

"Yes, she is! And more than that: she's honest!"

Adam grabbed her by the collar of her shirt, his teeth gritted. "I came here to be a nice guy and talk. But it seems _she_ already corrupted your mind and you forgot respect. So since you've made your choice... I will make everything in my power to make you suffer for your betrayal." he shoved Blake to the floor, making her gasp. Adam sighed, looking at her as he opened the door. "It didn't have to be this way, my darling. But you gave me no other choice."

Just like he got in, Adam left slamming the door shut. Blake rested her back against the wall, bringing her knees to her chest and crying. She couldn't believe this, she couldn't believe he was back in her life to torture her, to torment her. The tears kept spilling from her eyes for what felt like hours as she thought of the implications of that threat. She knew Adam wasn't one to make a promise he wouldn't keep, and the thought of what he would do to her and to the people who mattered to her sent shivers all over her body. She wasn't just scared, she was utterly terrified.

When her phone started ringing, she jumped in fear of who it may be.

_Sunny Dragon 🐉_ , it read. A sharp pain shot through her chest, although there was relief there too. She answered it anyway.

_"Hey, Blake! I know we just saw each other but I remembered to ask now. My memory is truly messy 'cause of the championship."_ Yang chuckled. _"So! Ruby told me of this party one of her Beacon friends is throwing. She said I can bring a plus one and I thought we could go together? Like, it's totally fine if you don't wanna! I mean, you already see me every day..."_

Blake was silent for a few moments, trying not to sniffle and denounce her earlier crying. Just listening to Yang's voice was enough to calm her a little, and she smiled bitterly.

"Sure. When is it?"

_"Next Thursday!"_ there was a pause. _"Blake... you sound like you were crying. Everything alright?"_

"I-I'm fine. Sun just sent me a sad video. I got a bit emotional, is all." Blake lied, and it made her feel even worse. Yang giggled.

_"Softy."_

"Says the one who cried over the ending of a game."

The boxer laughed out loud. _"You got me there, Belladonna. You got me there."_ Blake could hear her grin through the scroll. _"Next Thursday, then."_

"Next Thursday. Bye, Yang."

_"Bye, Blake. See ya tomorrow."_

"Yeah... see you."

Yang hung up and Blake sighed, guilt taking over her mind. She knew that needed to find a way to unravel the boxer from this mess, from her. But she couldn't. The thought of being away from Yang hurt too much for her to bear it, and all the alternatives she thought of left her feeling powerless and small.

She let her head hit the wall again, closing her eyes.

'I hate this. I hate him... and I hate myself.'

_To bee continued_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a lovely morning/afternoon/evening/night! See you all in the next chapter :)


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